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woensdag 17 oktober 2012

WANDERBACH page 147

Tork calculates
his chances and observes a robust young stallion, the fierce leader of a small
herd. The animal seems fast which is exactly what he needs.

Without
thinking he runs towards the meadow, opens the gate and walks towards the horse
to which he talks reassuring from a distance. The stallion stares curious,
allows that he fondles the velvet nose and Tork grabs the mane, slings in one
go on the unsaddled back. The stallion needs hardly stimulation, ramps and
trots towards freedom, followed by its herd. Barg keeps distance, afraid of the
pulverizing hoofs, but Tork doesn’t mind the dog that can take care of itself
very well. Barg follows wherever he goes.

The farmers
stand motionless, stare with open mouth at the unexpected. In stead of one man
and one dog confronted with a herd rushing horses and what Tork hoped for
happens: the farmers give in. They can’t do anything if they don’t want to
wound their own animals. Protected by the herd he passes storming while the dog
follows in a vast arch. Tork looks
over his shoulder. The men spurt confused to all sides, run towards a
next meadow and start the chase.

The vantage is
not big but the stallion is fast and the unsaddled herd follows with ease. His
fear is to be overhauled or that in a distance more farmers will wait. One and
a half day by foot: horses will cover that distance in less than half. It’s just
a matter of keeping up the speed.

Strange enough
they aren’t blocked a second time. There are people in the fields, bended backs,
that don’t even look up when they pass. The chasers don’t come nearer, the
distance stays the same, but what Tork alarms is that the farmers obstinate
keep following, even past the empires border.